If you know Tumu, you know we’re a humble brand with big ambitions. However, even in our home region of Hawke’s Bay, many people don’t realise the full scope of what we do or the connection between Tumu and our other operating businesses.
It was 1975 when Hugh O’Sullivan began milling and selling timber from his farm in Southern Hawke’s Bay. Not long after, he saw an opportunity and set up a lumber yard in Dannevirke, and so Tumu was born.
Back then, we were a business that did what it said on the tin – good, reliable timber suppliers building valued relationships with our customers and a team culture built on strong family values. But we had plans to grow…
As we grew and diversified to hold business interests in different sectors, we held true to our deeply values-driven culture, and maintained our strong connections with our customers, partners, and the community.
As our brand was refined over the years, we held true to our foundations, with each version of our logo giving a nod to timber and trees.
So, while our previous identity served us well over the years, it no longer reflected the innovative and entrepreneurial business Tumu is today, or our aspirations for the future.
Creating a new design that reflects a more contemporary personality was no easy feat – but we landed on a strikingly simple wordmark.
The unique typography is inspired by wooden construction blocks.
It represents our attitude that anything is possible with the right building blocks and people in place, coming together in innovative ways to create new and exciting opportunities for our business.
For 50 years, Tumu has been a strong family business built on values that encourage enduring relationships with customers, partners, communities and each other.
These deep-rooted family values have inspired our culture and powered our expansion from day one:
At its heart our approach is simple and genuine – Good People Growing Good Businesses.
Check out our new-look Tumu brands…